Tobacco curing system



May 2.9, 1945 J. R. HENDERSON 2,376,873

TOBACCO CURING' SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 19.41

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J. Rffenfierson Filed June 14, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a M, d ,a ./7 J n MW WM w M/w f W mi 1 J mw May 29 1945- J. R. HENDERSON 2,376,873

TOBACCO CURING SYSTEM Filed June 14, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ma /oeJRHenLZeron @MMM www

Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'roaaoco cUamG sYs'rEMJames R. Henderson, Miami, Fla.

Application June 14, 1941, Serial No. 398,154

(Cl. S-3.6)

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tobacco curing apparatus and is an improvementover the structure disclosed in my prior Patent Number 2,216,075 whichissued September 24, 1940.

In the structure disclosed in my prior patent, the outlet of the heatfrom the hot air duct is adapted to be cut off when a fusible elementmelts at a predetermined temperature and at the same time, the fuel tothe heater or burner is automatically cut 01T, but in this apparatus thevolume of heat entering a duct and discharging into the barn cannot befinely regulated. It is, therefore, an object of this invention toprovide a more simple apparatus than is disclosedA in my prior patentwhich can be regulated from the exterior of the barn.

An object of this invention is to provide a curing. apparatus of thiskind wherein the iiow of fuel to the burner is automatically cut offwhenthe burner koes out so as to thereby prevent flooding of the burner.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved means formaintaining the fuel supply under a predetermined pressure in order toinsure the proper iiow of fuel from the supply tank.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein are shown embodimentsof the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variationsand modications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal section through a tobacco curing barn having atobacco curing apparatus constructed according to an embodiment of thisinvention mounted' therein.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2'2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line wenn 1- a fragmentarylongitudinal section throughth `burner used with this invention.

Figure 'l is a fragmentary sectional view taken onthe line 8-8 of Figure1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary front elevation of the fuel supply tank.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the fuel supply line andthe connection with thisline of the temperature controlled operator.

Referring to the drawings, numeral I5 designates generally a tobaccocuring barn which is formed with vertical side walls I6 and I1 and endwalls I8 and I9. The configuration of the barn I5 herein disclosed, isconventional and it will be understood that this barn may be of anydesired size including length, width and height and will be provided onthe interior thereof with the conventional means for suspending thetobacco above the floor.

In order to provide a means whereby the tobacco disposed in the barn I5may be cured through the application of heat, I have provided a heatingmember or oven generally designated as 20 which is adapted to bepositioned exteriorly of the barn I5. The heating member 28 comprises abottom wall 2I, side Walls 22, a forward wall 23 and a rear wall 24. Atop wall 25 is disposed on top of the side walls 22 and the end walls 23and 24. An inner wall 26 is disposed between the end walls 23 and 24thereby dividing the burner housing or heating member 20 into a burnerchamber 21 and a heating chamber 28. A burner, generally designated as29, is disposed in the lower portion of the burner chamber 21 andconfronts an opening 30 which is formed in the lower portion of theinner wall 26 so that the heat from the burner 28 will be ejected intothe heating chamber 28. The top wall 25 of the heating member 20 isprovided with an air intake opening 3I which is open to atmosphere sothat cool air will be drawn into the burner chamber 21 and will mix withthe heat from the burner 29 and pass into the heating chamber 28. Thetop wall 25 of the housing 2u is provided with an outlet nipple 32 withwhich a pipe or stack 33 is engaged. A damper 34 is mounted in the pipeor stack 33 and is provided with a manually operable handle 35 so thatthe damper 34 may be disposed in the desired open or closed position.

The housing 20 also has connected therewith an outlet pipe or nipple 36having a damper 31 mounted therein which is provided with a handle 3l norder that the damper 31 may be disposed in the desired open or closedposition. A pair of forwardly divergent branches 39 and 40 are connectedat their convergent ends with the forward end of the nipple 36 and thebranch 33 has a duct or pipe 4I connected therewith. A branch 4l has apipe 42 connected therewith and the two openings 45 and 44 provided inthe rearend wall I5 and are disposed in a horizontal position withf inthe interior of the barn I5. A pair of ducts or pipes 45 and 45 areconnected at their rear ends Q with the branches 35 and 45 respectivelyand are extended into the barn I5 through openings 41 and 48respectively which are formed in the rear wall I9. The pipe or duct 4|is provided with a manually operable damper 45 and the pipe or duct 42is provided with a manually operable damper 55. These two dampers 45 and55, positioned ex- 52 which are disposed exteriorly from the barn I5 topermit adjustment of these dampers without entering the barn I5. Thepipes or ducts 4l. 42, 45 and 48 are disposed in parallel and horizontalrelation within the barn I5, being disposed closely adjacent the door ofthe bam so that the heat discharged from these ducts will rise upwardlyin the interior of the barn.

l Each heat conducting pipe or duct has secured l thereto a plurality ofheat directing and regulat- 1 ing members shown in greater detail inFigures 3 and 4 and generally designated as 53. As shown 1 in Figures 3and 4 the heat outlet members are i g vertically adjustable inupstanding nipples or 3 sleeves 54 which are secured to the hot airducts in spaced apart relation. A cylindrical and vertically adjustablesleeve 55 telescopes into the` 1 nipple 54-and has its lower endextended partly into the interior of a hot air duct. The sleeve 55 1 iis adapted to frictionally engage the interior of i a nipple 54 so thatit may be firmly held in its vertically adjusted position. The lower endof 1 the sleeve 55 is provided with a baille or by-pass Q member 55 bymeans of which a portion of the v heat moving 1engthwise of the hot airduct is 1 adapted to be by-passed upwardly through the sleeve 55. Adamper 51 is mounted in the sleeve i 55 at a point above they upper endof the nipple 54, being mounted on a damper shaft 58 which is ljoumalled in bearings 58 and 55 carried by the 1 sleeve 55, and a handle5I is fixed to one end of the shaft 58 exteriorly of the sleeve 55.

There may be as many of these hot air ducts Thel g A conical hood 52 isdisposed above the upper :50 1 end of the s1eeve'55, being supported inupwardly 1 3 spaced relation to the upper end of the sleeve l i by meansof a pair of vertically disposed hood 1 g supporting arms 53 which arefixed at their upper g ends to the inner surface of the hood 52. lowerends of the hood supporting arm 53. are l inwardly bent, as at 54, andremovably engage in l outwardly offset socket members 55 which arecarried by the upper end of the sleeve 55.

l Through the use of the vertically adjustable air j discharge members53 the sleeves 55 may be vertically adjusted relative to its associatedhot air l duct so that an even amount of hot air will be 1 dischargedinto the interior of the barn I5 throughout the lengths of the hot airducts. i will, of course, be understood that the damper members 51 ineach'discharge sleeve 55 may be g regulated to the desired position soas to regu- 1 late the quantity of air which is discharged into theinterior of the barn I5 at a particular local 1 tion.

connected with the branches 35 and 45 as may 1 l be desired and ifdesired one or more of the hot pipes or ducts-4I and 42 are extendedthrough air ducts may be cut oil! by means of its associated exteriordamper.

The burner. 25 includes a cylindrical burner housing 55 which is mountedon a pair of stand- .ards or supporting members 51 engaging the bottomwall 2l of the housing 25.V The cylindrical wall 55 is formed with atapered forward end porvtion 58 confronting the tapering opening 85 inthe inner wall 25 and the rear end of the housing 55 has mounted thereina rear wall 58 formed with an opening 15. An intermediate or innerwall1l is mounted within the cylindrical housing 55 and is provided withan opening 12 which is adapted to aline with a burner nozzle 13. Theburner nozzle 13 is mounted rearwardly of the inner wall 1 I and isformed as part of a U-shaped fuel pipe 14 which extends through anopening 15 formed in the inner wall 1I below the opening 12. A helicalcoil 15 is disposed in the forward chamber 11 which is positionedforwardly of the intermediate wall 1I and the particles of combustionemanating from the nozzle 13 are adapted to pass through the interior ofthe coil 15 so that the fuel in the coil 15 will be preheated to asubstantially vaporization point before the fuel is discharged from thenozzle 13. The forward end of the coil 15 is extended through an opening18 formed in the cylindrical wall 55 and is connected to a fuel supplypipe 15. The fuel supply pipe 15 is connectedy to a fuel supply tankwhich is positioned forwardly of the heating member 25 and closelyadjacent the outer side of the rear wall I9 of the barn I5. A regulatingvalve 8l is interposed in the pipe 15 and is positioned in the presentinstance closely adjacent the heating member 25. The fuel in the supplytank 85 is adapted to be initially placed under pressure by dischargingair through an air valve 52 which is connected to a pipe 83. A pressuregauge 84 is interposed Vin the pipe 83 between the valve 82 and theadjacent wall of the tank 85. A conventional safety valve 85 isconnected by means of a pipe 55 to the tank 85 in order that any excesspressure generated in the tank 85 may be automatically released.

In order to provide a means wherebya predetermined pressure may beconstantly maintained in the fuel supply tank 55 I have provided a hotair duct or pipe 81 which, at its rear end, is connected to the forwardwall 23 of the heating member 25, at a point below the connection of thenlpple or duct 35 with the wall 23. A damper 88'is mounted in the duct81 and is adapted to automatically regulate, as will hereinafter bedescribed, the amount of hot air passing through the duct 81. Theforward end of the duct 81 may be provided with a pair of oppositelyextending branches 85 and 95 which are connected with the hot air ducts45 and 45 respectively. The duct 81, as will be noted from Figure 2,passes partly around the tank 85 so that the heat from this duct willheat the tank 85 and the fuel contained therein.

In order to provide a means whereby the damper 88 may be automaticallyoperated I have provided, as shown in Figure 7, a pressure operateddamper operator which includes a diaphragm housing 9| which is connectedwith a pipe or nipple 52 communicating with the tank 85. A diaphragm 53is mounted within -the diaphragm housing 5I and a vertically extendingrod 54 is fixed at its lower end to the diaphragm 53 as at 55. The rod94 extends throughv an opening' 55 formed in the upper half 91 of thehousing 5|. and is slidably connected with a vertically'rockable lever60. The lever is formed with all elongated slot 99 in which the pivot|00 carried by the rod 94 slidably engages. One end of the lever 98 isrockably mounted on a pivot |0| carried by an upwardly extending leversupporting arm |02 which is fixed to the diaphragm housing 9|. The otherend of the lever 00 is connected with the operating arm |03 of thedamper 06 by means of a link |04. The upper end of the link |04 engagesan eye or ring |06 which is carried by the adjacent end of the lever 00.In this manner when the pressure within the fuel tank 60 exceeds apredetermined degree the diaphragm 93 will be exed upwardly and thelever 96 raised so as to thereby move the damper 80 to a duct closingposition.

In order to provide a means whereby the operation of the burner 29 maybe automatically controlled so as to automatically cut oil the supply offuel from the tank 80 when the burner 29 is out I have provided atemperature operating valve structure generally designated as |06 whichis interposed in the pipe 19 between the manually operable valve 6| andthe burner 29. 'I'he cut-off valve structure |06 includes a housing |01having a valve seat |09 with which a poppet valve member |09 is adaptedto be associated. The poppet valve member |09 has secured thereto avalve stem I0 which is disposed on opposite sides of the valve member|09 and is slidable at its upper side through a partition wall dividingthe upper portion of the housing |01y into a fuel chamber ||2 and adiaphragm chamber ||3. A

lower guiding wall |4 is disposed in upwardly offset relation to thebottom wall ||5 of the housg ing 01 and a reduced cylindrical housing I6extends downwardly from the bottom wall ||5. A spring ||1 may bedisposed about the lower portion of the valve stem ||0 and engage at itsupper end against the under side of the guiding wall ||4 and at itslower end against a nut or abutment ||8v fixed to the stem ||0. A valvecompressing spring I9 is disposed in the housing ||6 and bears againstthe abutment ||8 and is tensioned by means of a spring tension rodhaving a head |2| at its upper or inner end. A threaded bolt or shaft|22 is fixed to the lower end of the rod or stem |20 and is threadedthrough a gland 123 engaging the lower end of the housing IIB. The valvestructure |06 includes a cap |24 formed with a flange |25 which issecured by fastening devices |26 to a flange |21 carried by the upperend portion of the housing |01 above the wall A diaphragm |28 is fixedby fastening devices |29 to the upper end of the stem |I0 and isinterposed between the two flanges and |21. A liquid conducting pipe |30is connected at one end to the cap |24 and is then extended downwardlyand passed through an opening |3| formed in a boss |32 carried by a bendor branch |33 forming a part of the fuel line 19. The pipe |30 is thenextended axially as at |34 into the interior of the branch |33 andterminates in the forward convolution |35 of the preheating coil 16.'I'he terminal end of the pipe branch |34 within the convolution |35 ispermanently closed and preferably a liquid, in the form of alcohol orthe like, is adapted to be positioned in the pipe |30 and the branch |34and this liquid is also positioned in the liquid chamber |36 formedbetween the cap |24 and the upper side 0f the diaphragm |28. AS theliquid in the pipe |30 becomes heated and expands the diaphragm |20 willbe flexed downwardly so as to hold the valve member |09 in an openposition,

In order to start the operation of the burner 0I the spring ||0 isrelieved Aof tension by unthreading the spring tensioning member |22 sothat the spring ||1 will move the valve member |00 downwardly to thedesired open position. After the burner is in operation for a short timethe liquid in the pipe |30 and in the chamber |36 will become heated sothat the diaphragm |28 will thereby be flexed downwardly throughexpansion of the liquid and at this time the spring tensioning member|22 may be returned to the spring tensioning position so that if theburner 29 should go out and the liquid in the pipe |30 the spring I0will then automatically return the valve member |09 to a cut-olfposition on the seat |06.

In the use and operation of this device, the fuel in the tank 60initially is placed under the desired pressure by discharging air underpressure through the air valve 62. The cut-oi! valve 6| may be openedand the spring tensioning member |22 may be moved to a position torelieve the tension on the spring ||9 and permit the spring ||1 to movethe valve member |06 to an open position. The fuel, at the end of theburner nozzle 13, may then be ignited and the heat from the nozzle 13will pass through the convolutions of the coil 16 thereby heating thefuel in the coil 16 to a substantially vaporization point. yThe burner29 will draw into the heating chamber 28 air from the burner chamber 21which enters the burner chamber 21 through the intake opening 3|. At thestart of the operation of this heating apparatus the initial pressure inthe tank will flexl the damper regulating diaphragm 93 upwardly so as tohold the damper 88 in the duct 81 in a closed position. The heat fromthe heating chamber 26 will thus be cut off from the duct 61. The heat,however, in the chamber 28 will pass outwardly through the outlet ductor nipple 36 and then enter the branches 39 and 40 and the several heatconducting ducts 4|, 42, 45 and 46. The vertical adjustment of thedischarge sleeves 55 carried by the heat conducting ducts will determinethe amount of heat which is by-passed from the ducts into the interiorof the barn. In addition to the adjustment of the discharge sleeves 55to determine the amount of heat which is by-passed into the differentportions of the barn, each sleeve` 55 may have its associated damper 51adjusted to the desired position in order to further regulate the amountof hot air discharged therefrom.

With a tobacco curing apparatus as hereinbefore described, it ispossible to operate the burner structure without undue attention theretoas, if the burner should accidentally go out, the fuel line to theburner will be automatically cut-off by means of the temperatureoperated cut-off valve structure |06.

- What I claim is:

l. In a tobacco curing apparatus, an air heating member, a. burner insaid heating member, a fuel pressure tank connected with said burner, ahot air duct connected with said heating member and engaging partlyabout said tank for heat.. ing the fuel in said tank and increasing thepressure therein, a damper in said latter duct, and pressure operatedmeans connected with said tank and said damper for operating said damperin accordance with the pressure formed in said tank resulting fromexpansion of fuel in the latter.

2. In a tobacco curing apparatus, an air heata hot air duct connectedwith said heating mem'- ber and engaging partly about said tank forheating the fuel in said tank and placing the fuel under a predeterminedpressure. a damper in said latter duct. a diaphragm structure connectedwith said tank, and means connecting said diaphragm structure with saiddamper for adjustment of said damper in accordance with the pressurewithin said tank.

3. In a tobacco curing apparatus, an air heating member. a burner insaid heating member.

a fuel tank connected with said burner, means for placing the fuel insaid tank under pressure, said means including means whereby air underpressure may be discharged into said tank, a hot air duct communicatingwith said heating member, a tank heating duct communicating with saidheating member and said first duct and at least partly encompassing saidtank whereby to increase the pressure in said tank. a damper in saidtank heating duct, and a pressure operated member connected to said tankand to said damper whereby to regulate the opening and closing of thedamper in accordance with the pressure in said tank.

JAMES R. HENDERSON.

